For those who are not escaping to a cabin, the lake or both this weekend, there are plenty of performing-arts options in the Twin Cities. But hurry: Many of the productions close Sunday.

Stephen Yoakam plays a slew of parents, royals and impetuous warriors in “An Iliad” at the Guthrie. The script, by Lisa Peterson and actor Denis O’Hare, adapts Homer’s sprawling war story into a solo show that Yoakam, smartly directed by Ben McGovern, has made into a compelling epic. (Run extended to June 1, Guthrie Theater, 818 S. 2nd St., Mpls., 612-377-2224)

Gospel legend Mahalia Jackson is the focus of “Mahalia,” Tom Stolz’s musical biography that has become an important part of the repertory of Old Log Theater. While the show has been rapped for being a touch long, it boasts a “dazzling” performance by singer Sandra Robinson Hodges. (8 p.m. Fri.-Sat., Old Log Theater, 5185 Meadville St., Excelsior, 952-474-5951)

The Moving Company, made up of alumni of Theatre de la Jeune Lune, has devised a show of fairy tales called “Out of the Pan Into the Fire.” Actors Christina Baldwin, Nathan Keepers, Steve Epp and Sam Kruger perform under the direction of Dominique Serrand and in a world designed by Sonya Berlovitz (costumes), Marcus Dilliard (lights) and Zach Humes (sound). (7:30 p.m. Fri.-Sun., Southern Theater, 1420 Washington Av. S., Mpls., $18.50-$28, 612-605-5951)

The Moving Company’s show is not to be confused with “Out of the Frying Pan,” a quasi-murder mystery by a young company called Theatre Terra Firma. The highly physical show is about a half-dozen young actors who share an apartment in 1940s New York that is above that of a producer who is casting a road show. The actors, all desperate for a big break, seem to be willing to do anything for their goal (8 p.m. Fri.-Sat., Gremlin Theatre, 2400 W. University Av., St. Paul, $15-17. www.theatreterrafirma.com)

20% Theatre Company’s “Changes in Time” is three short interconnected plays about a character who transitions from female to male. (7:30 p.m. Fri.-Sat., Minneapolis Theater Garage, 711 W. Franklin Av., 612-227-1188)